Checking In: Evaluating the Review Campaign
What we've done so far, and where we're headed next!
I’m a big believer in not only setting goals, but evaluating and adjusting them as needed. Technically I should have done this last month—July was the true midpoint of this year-long exploration of getting book reviews as an indie author! But, July was also a whirlwind around here. ;) So now that things have quieted down, let’s take a look!
First: What We’ve Covered So Far
Back in February, I started off this campaign by setting a goal and taking an honest look at why reviews might actually matter—and also, the ways in which they don’t.
In March, I ranted a little bit about my personal feelings on giants like Amazon (TLDR: yuck, and, it’s complicated) but more importantly, shared a step-by-step example of how to create QR codes from links. That way, you can incorporate a bookmark asking for reviews into your swag, and make it easy for the reader to help!
I hit the double-where-I-started landmark, and resolved to use that to build some momentum by sharing my progress with my readers and re-commit to seeking professional reviews, too.
In May, we did a deep dive into the sticky world of paying for reviews and services that will “connect you with readers who leave reviews” . . . which, spoiler, is theoretically just fine, but is also expensive and could be playing with fire.
Last time I wrote, my reader review numbers had stalled a bit and I talked about the pros and cons of professional, aka editorial, reviews from the perspective of an indie author on a tight budget.
So: What Have We Learned?
This is hard. I laugh at myself as I write that, because really, I already knew that seven months ago! And chances are, you’re fully aware of that fact, too. And maybe, like me, you make it harder on yourself than it could be: the fact that I don’t use paid review services or ads, for example, makes this more of an uphill battle. For me, that’s largely a financial decision: there are simply other things I need to put my money to. I’d love to be able to say that you can do it all on shoestring budget and get immediate results . . . but the truth is, results vary. That’s why it’s good to know your priorities going in, and know where you’re willing to spend more or less.
And on that note: reviews are silly. Have you read much Jasper Fforde? Years ago I read one of his books that had to do with color—I don’t even recall which one!—but in the world he envisioned, reviews were paramount. Characters were constantly writing them. Business were constantly needing them, providing paper surveys for characters to fill out. This was years ago, that I read this, and I may have some details wrong—but my point is, the pressure we feel to get reviews verges on sci-fi satire. It is, on some level, nonsensical, because no one can tell another person exactly how they’re going to respond to a story (or a piece of art, or a spa day, or a sandwich). But the internet is there to give us as much information as we can take, and as a consumer I do look through reviews out of curiosity—even when I know at least some of them will have no relevance to me at all.
But engagement is worthwhile. We use all kinds of numbers to measure engagement—number of reviews, number of stars per review, number of likes or shares or comments. But I mean actual engagement, which is a little more elusive than we like to think. This is where I personally go from feeling down sometimes to feeling the hope of it all. The truth is, I don’t know what will truly “work” next—which means that anything has a chance. The only guideline is “get the book out there.” I see this in the attitude of professional publicists often these days, as I field inquiries about the Cozy Alchemy podcast. People reach out to me, and I think, golly! My podcast? It’s still so new; is it worth your time?
And I’ll let you in on a secret I’ve realized: the answer is, anything that gets the book out there can be worthwhile. This is true regardless of numbers. It’s true from a marketing point of view, because you never know precisely how fame and fortune will strike, but it’s also true at a very personal level. Even if you try something and it only reaches one new reader, that one new reader might be truly touched by your work. You could make a real difference for them.
Alright, I know that doesn’t necessarily help you hit quantitative or monetary goals. ;) But we’re not in this just for the numbers . . . in this campaign specifically to reach 100 reviews . . . xD
The bottom line: what’s needed is an adjustment of mind.
For the future, I’ll keep up with this campaign and my original goal, but I’m glad to have had this reminder. I started this campaign essentially to see if I could do it—and along the way, to help others do it too—and at the end of the day, to help my book reach more people. That’s the reality behind all the numbers: people.
I have a sneaking suspicion that numbers might not have as much to do with people as we think. We might be looking at a lot more correlations than causations when we talk about metrics. But let’s see how I feel as the experiment continues, shall we? ;)